


another perfect wonder

by ohmyloki



Category: In the Flesh (TV)
Genre: Advent Calendar, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Snow, Snowball Fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-03 01:47:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2833652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohmyloki/pseuds/ohmyloki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Underneath the smooth untouched surface still lies the grimy Roarton that he’s come to know. For the moment it may be covered up so prettily that you’d almost never wonder what filth lies beneath it, but he knows it will only be a few days before the illusion is broken.</p>
            </blockquote>





	another perfect wonder

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [In The Flesh 2014 Advent Calendar](http://intheflesh-art.tumblr.com/tagged/ac%2014) on Tumblr. :)

Simon’s second attempt at ‘dinner’ with the Walkers goes exponentially better than the first. This, of course, is accomplished just by way of Gary’s absence. Neglecting that, however, after the stilted conversation gets started, it doesn’t seem to end. Topics flow smoothly from one into the next, always skirting the edges of anything that could be remotely controversial and generally staying away from important topics, but altogether Simon thinks it went well. As well as he could hope for when he considers the facts that:

A) He and Kieren can’t eat the food set in front of them.

B)  He and Kieren are, for most intents and purposes, essentially dead.

C) Not too long ago he had been planning on killing Kieren.

It’s about the small victories these days, he thinks.

Which is what he’s contemplating as he looks out on Kieren’s backyard, waiting for Kieren to finish up inside. Simon offered to stay and help, of course, but Kieren had taken one long look at Simon’s face and smiled, telling him to go out and get a bit of fresh air and that he’d be out in just a second.

The air is indeed fresh and Simon imagines it would be cold, were he able to feel it, but he can already sense some of the stress seeping out of his body as his eyes travel the landscape in front of him. The first snowfall happened the previous night, dumping a good few inches of white powder over everything, transforming the small village with such a colorful history into something that almost looks pure and untainted.

It makes Simon wonder. Underneath the smooth untouched surface still lies the grimy Roarton that he’s come to know. For the moment it may be covered up so prettily that you’d almost never wonder what filth lies beneath it, but he knows it will only be a few days before the illusion is broken.

Is that what will happen with Kieren, he wonders. Right now, despite everything, they’re still basking in the glow of a new relationship. Where flaws are few and far between and easier to hide. What happens when that facade crumbles and Kieren is faced with the Simon that’s made nothing but mistakes so far in life? What happens when Kieren sees him as he truly is?

Simon is so caught up in pondering the death of a relationship that’s barely crawled out of the ground, that he doesn’t notice the subject of his thoughts sidling up next time him until the silence is broken.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” Kieren asks.

Simon has to refrain from jumping, though the tilt to Kieren’s lips imply he probably hasn’t done a great job of it.

Simon hums in response.

“I’ve always liked the first snowfall. Makes everything look clean.”

Simon glances over at Kieren. “Never lasts, though,” Simon says. “Underneath, everything is the same as it used to be. All the dirt, all the unpleasantness. It’s just lurking there underneath the surface.”

It’s silent then, and for a bit Simon thinks Kieren isn’t going to say anything further. Kieren does have a tendency to surprise him, though.

“That’s true, I suppose,” Kieren says. “God knows Roarton has more than its fair share of nasty things lurking about,” he sighs. “But I suppose that’s what makes things like this a bit more meaningful. Bad times reminding you of the good and all. Even so, just because something is pristine and pleasant to look at doesn’t mean it’s good. And just because something is dirty and rough doesn’t mean it’s bad. You of all people should know that.”

Simon looks to Kieren, confused.

Kieren lifts an eyebrow and gives him a smirk. “You met me here, didn’t you?”

Kieren’s surprising words bring a burst of laughter from Simon, and he can feel some of his worries evaporate into the air around him.

“S’pose you’re right,” Simon says and takes a step towards Kieren.

He cups Kieren’s neck gently with his hand and looks into wide eyes that are dancing with laughter. He’s just about to bend and cover the little space between them when there’s a loud  _THWACK_ and his head is pushed forward, knocking into Kieren’s.

“What the fuck—” Kieren says.

Simon rears back ready to apologize when a new voice floats over his shoulder.

“Sorry, couldn’t resist such a big target,” Jem says.

He turns around and looks at Kieren’s sister, who’s smiling at the both of them like the cat that got the cream. Simon takes a second to parse what just happened.

“Are you—did you just imply I have a big head?” He asks.

Kieren snorts and Simon’s eyebrows go up. He shoots Kieren a feigned look of hurt.

“What?” Kieren asks, innocently. “You corrected her at least twice when she was telling us about her essay. She might have a point.”

“I was just trying to—”  _THWACK._  Even if he can’t feel the wet or cold, this time there’s no mistaking the snow that slides down the side of his face. Kieren downrights cackles next to him.

He calmly brushes the snow off and gives Kieren a long, pointed look. “Don’t think I’m done with you,” he says to Kieren and then he turns to Jem. “And you…  you really don’t know what you got yourself into.”

He crouches down and as soon as he starts scooping up snow, he hears Jem give a little squeak and then the sounds of her boots crunching the snow as she takes off into a run. When he stands up and calmly starts mashing the snow into a ball, Kieren gives him a look.

“You’re really gonna do this?” Kieren asks.

“Hmm?”

“Get into a snowball fight with my little sister?”

“Thought she was your big sister now?” Simon asks and Kieren scoffs. He continues, “Do you think she’s forgotten that we can’t feel the cold? Or the fact that we don’t get physically tired?”

“Probably. But I think you’re forgetting she’s got quite good aim. And a head start.”

“That’s true. But…” Simon trails off, looking at the snowball in his hand.

“But what?”

Simon looks up and grins. “This one isn’t for her,” he says.

There’s a brief look of confusion on Kieren’s face, a look that is quickly hidden when Simon smashes the snowball on top of his head. Kieren lets out a yelp and leaps back, furiously swiping the snow away from his face.

“You fucking tosser,” he says.

Simon grins in response. “One sibling down, one to go,” he says before turning and taking off in the direction Jem had gone, the previously unblemished snow showing him her exact path.

“Oh, no you don’t!” He hears Kieren yell behind him followed by the unmistakable sound of Kieren’s stiff run in the snow.

Simon thinks that he can’t remember the last time his heart had felt so light.

* * *

The sun is going down by the time they agree to call it quits and head inside for the night.

Jem had admitted defeat in the snowball fight an hour or so earlier, around the fifth time she had to stop and take a breather while Simon and Kieren were barely winded. Out of respect, Simon had admitted that Jem had gotten in far more hits than he had, she was just at a distinct disadvantage due to the whole… needing to breathe thing.

As Jem lay in the snow, recuperating, Kieren had idly rolled his last snowball around in the snow watching as it grew bigger and bigger. Seeing as how they must have forgotten how old they were already, it wasn’t long before the three of them were each working diligently on their own snowmen.

When they were finished, Simon walked up to Kieren and peered curiously over his shoulder.

“Every artist knows the sound of critical silence. What is it?” Kieren asked.

“I thought you said you received a scholarship for art school.” Simon said bluntly.

Kieren’s head whipped around and he narrowed his eyes at Simon, who did his absolute best to school his face into something of pure innocence. His lips betrayed him though, and Kieren spotted it when they twitched.

This, of course, led to another, more intimate, snowball-fight-turned-wrestling-match between the two of them. Jem sat lazily in the snow, shouting out advice to both of them and enjoying the free entertainment.

“Take out his knees!” She had yelled at Simon when Kieren had attempted to get him in a headlock.

Kieren grunted and looked over at his sister over Simon’s head. “Betrayed by my own blood!” He shouted with faux-offense. Jem just shrugged and smiled. A smile which turned into full on laughter when Simon took her advice and Kieren landed on his back in the snow.

Now, though, Jem is grumbling about her freezing wet clothes and how she’s going to run a hot bath and stay in there for  _at least_ the next two hours as they walk back to the house. Simon and Kieren are walking close enough together that they keep bumping shoulders and when Simon sees Kieren twine his fingers through his own, he swears his heart gives out one lonely beat in his chest.

When they reach the house, Simon’s ready to say goodnight to Kieren and head back to the bungalow alone, but once again he’s caught surprised.

“I’m gonna head back to the bungalow with Simon,” Kieren says to Jem. “Tell Mom and Dad not to wait up, yeah?”

“Yeah, sure. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, little bro.” She says with another smile. Simon can practically hear Kieren’s eyes roll.

Jem turns and reaches for the doorknob, but then hesitates. She turns back around and looks at Simon, who feels his eyebrows go up under the look she gives him.

This time, she smiles at  _him_ , and Simon thinks that maybe they’re about to have a bonding moment (he knows Kieren thinks the world of her and he does want to be in her good graces). She ruins it by punching him in the shoulder. Hard, judging by the way Simon’s body moves. Not that he can feel it.

“You’re alright, you know?” She says.

“Uh. Thanks?” Simon replies, glancing at Kieren for a split second before looking back to her. “You’re not too bad yourself.”

She snorts, says goodnight to the both of them and goes inside. When they’re alone, he looks to Kieren who’s looking at him with a smile on his face. It’s a dopey smile. There’s no other word for it.

“High praise, coming from her,” Kieren says.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Well. That’s good then.”

Kieren lets out a laugh at that and then shakes his head. “Very good. Now come on. We might not be able to feel it but we should probably get into some dry clothes anyway.” He says, pulling Simon along.

When they’re almost to the bungalow, Simon realizes something.

“You know you don’t have any clothes over here.”

“I know. But I’m sure I can squeeze into one of your sweaters, if you don’t mind.”

The image of Kieren in his clothes brings him to a halt in the middle of the road. Kieren stops with him and looks over, worried.

“That’s okay, isn’t it?” Kieren asks.

Simon swallows. “Yeah, yeah. That’s… fine.” He says.

“Well, come on then,” Kieren says, smiling, tugging on Simon’s hand again.

Kieren goes and Simon follows.


End file.
